


Hoping You'll Come Around

by goddess_julie



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Boys In Love, Established Relationship, Feelings, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Mitch Is the MVP, Mitchy Deserves The World, Mutual Pining, Not Cheating, Panic Attacks, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Thank God For Mitch Marner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:54:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22529686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddess_julie/pseuds/goddess_julie
Summary: “Just go the fuck to Cali and make him talk to you.  Do what you need to do, but take care of it.  For both of you.”“You wouldn’t go to him on Saturday and then Sunday it was too late.  You waited for him to come to you, but you know he’s not going to come to you first.  He never will.”At those words, Auston’s eyes snap open and he sees the open expression on Mitch’s face.“He won’t because of me.  But that’s not fair to either of you because he needs you right now, he needs you so much and neither of you will do anything about it… And you avoid talking about it, won’t even think about it, but you need him too.  We both know you need him in ways you don’t need me …”OrFreddie has gone MIA after their loss to Chicago and Auston is pining hard despite the fact that he's already in a committed relationship with Mitch.  Mitch suggests that during their bye week, Auston go and get his man.  Auston's not sure how it will work but he trusts Mitch with everything in him.
Relationships: Frederik Andersen/Auston Matthews, Frederik Andersen/Mitch Marner/Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner/Auston Matthews
Comments: 1
Kudos: 75





	Hoping You'll Come Around

**Author's Note:**

> Warning for a character having an anxiety attack. Auston is worried regarding feelings he doesn't think he should be having and is grounded with the help of Mitch who really is everything that is good and pure in this world. If anxiety attacks are triggering for you, please proceed with caution.
> 
> Also, I've been sitting on this since the bye week. I'm working on another ASG fic from the games (not connected to this one) so I figured it was finally time to edit and post it. Ignore any inaccuracies of what they did on the bye week because I like to make up my own worlds sometimes to suit what I need to happen!
> 
> This is not a reflection of anyone mentioned in the game and the only accuracy is the craptastic game against Chicago and Keefe bawling everyone out in the locker room afterwards (or at least that's what I hear happened - I wasn't invited so I don't know for sure! lol) 
> 
> I use the term edit loosely, so if you see any blaring mistakes, holla at ya girl! But be nice, I'm super sensitive! LOL. Feedback is always welcome! Hope you enjoy!

Four days have passed and Freddie hasn’t returned any of Auston’s texts. They’d been given a verbal lashing on Saturday after their abysmal showing against the Blackhawks by Keefe in the locker room. Auston kept his head down and quietly slipped into the showers when the smoke cleared, his anger masked by the scalding hot water that he stood under for longer than his normal post game shower. By the time he came out, Freddie had been long gone and only a few others were still lagging behind. Most importantly, John and Mitch were there waiting for him at his locker. Once he’d dried off and redressed in his game day suit, John stood and turned to Auston.

“Get some rest. Recharge, put it behind us and let’s focus on the second half.”

Auston moved to open his mouth, cut off by Mitch waving his hand. 

“No Matts, he’s right. This fucking sucks, we’ve had a shitty end to the first half but we need to get this out of our fucking heads and be better.”

“Because it’s just that easy.” Auston punctuates his statement with a scoff and an eye roll.

“Make it that easy,” John warned. “Do what you need to do, go to the All-Star Game with Mitchy and Freddie and come back and we’ll work this out.”

Auston had taken a deep breath and exhaled all of the frustration he’d been holding into his chest. “Fine.”

Moments later Auston and Mitch were headed towards the garage where Mitch had parked his car.

And here he was, four days later laying on the couch in his parents’ house in Arizona with nearly two dozen unanswered messages to Freddie. His finger hovers above the bubble to begin typing a message but before he can start, he toggles to another screen.

_“Have you heard from him?”_

Auston waits. He sees the bubble that indicates Mitch is responding and within seconds a message appears.

_“Not since the last fourteen times you asked.”_

“Fuck you,” Auston says out loud. _“How do I know he hasn’t responded,”_ is what Auston types back. He can just see Mitch rolling his eyes.

_“Because I’d fucking tell you so you’d stop being a teenage girl.”_

Auston wants to feel indignant but Mitch isn’t entirely wrong so he doesn’t say anything back. 

_“Just go the fuck to Cali and make him talk to you. Do what you need to do, but take care of it. For both of you.”_

Auston holds his breath and within seconds is swiping with his thumb and presses a button. The phone rings about four times before Mitch’s face appears on his screen. He’s got a giant grin on his face; his eyes are dancing and Mitch doesn’t look at all like he’s surprised that Auston has face timed him.

“Babe, it’s okay.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Auston asks. His stomach is fluttering and his breathing is shallow. He’s not sure what Mitch is proposing and he’s even less sure he wants to ask. But they’ve never lied to each other before, they’ve never dodged a conversation and he’s sure as fuck not going to start now.

“Do you need me to spell it out to you Matts?” Mitch’s eyes are knowing, his voice is gentle. He doesn’t look upset and he doesn’t appear to be angry. He only looks fond as he takes in Auston’s panicked expression. “Because I will.”

Auston nods and licks his lips nervously. He tries to take a few deep breaths and rolls over so that he’s on his side, staring at Mitch through his iPhone screen. “I think I do, babe.”

“Go to him. He needs you, Aus. He needed you Saturday night but you were too embarrassed to go to him. Both when you were hiding in the shower and afterwards when you should have gone to his condo.”

Auston opens his mouth to argue but Mitch shakes his head, halting the words from Auston’s mouth.

“You were. You don’t think you were, but you’ve been taking this too hard. We’re a team, we win as a team and we lose as a team. Freddie’s underperforming because we’re underperforming. We’re playing like shit because he’s playing like shit. And it goes around and around and you think you need to fix everything but you can’t. Not always. And not how you think you should.”

Mitch doesn’t mention the way Auston has closed his eyes and is refusing to meet his gaze. Instead, Auston lets Mitch’s words wash over him. He’s one hundred percent right, but Auston doesn’t think he deserves them. Because he does need to fix it, he should be able to but he can’t and he doesn’t know why.

“You wouldn’t go to him on Saturday and then Sunday it was too late. You waited for him to come to you, but you know he’s not going to come to you first. He never will.” 

At those words, Auston’s eyes snap open and he sees the open expression on Mitch’s face. 

“He won’t because of me. But that’s not fair to either of you because he needs you right now, he needs you so much and neither of you will do anything about it… And you avoid talking about it, won’t even think about it, but you need him too. We both know you need him in ways you don’t need me …”

All of the breath has left Auston’s lungs and he’s gasping for breath. The rest of what Mitch is saying goes unheard as the only thing he can hear is the static of his mind working a mile a second. He sits up suddenly and feels the rush of blood go to his head, as everything swims in front of him he lets out a strangled gasp. 

“Mitch?”

He can’t lose Mitch. As much as he needs to know that Freddie is okay, that they’re okay, it can’t be at the expense of his relationship with Mitch. Auston can’t focus on anything, the room is spinning around him and his eyes are unfocused. He can vaguely hear Mitch speaking to him, but he can’t make out the words and it sounds muffled, like one of them is in a tunnel.

“Aus.. breathe, okay. Breathe. Listen to my voice Auston,” Mitch is using a gentle, methodic voice and Auston focuses on the words that his boyfriend is saying over and over again. “Auston, can you hear me?”

Auston’s eyes haven’t focused on the screen so he closes them and nods his head. Mitch still sounds like he’s in a tunnel and he can’t seem to catch his breath, but he’s trying. 

“Look at me, babe.”

Auston opens his eyes.

“Tell me five things you can see right now. Can you do that for me? Look around and tell me five things you can see.”

With gasping hiccups Auston turns his head. “TV remote, couch pillow, bottle of water, family portrait on the wall, white curtains.”

“Good babe, doing so good. What are four things you can touch? Can you tell me four things you can touch right now?”

Auston takes a number of shallow breaths and he feels his heart racing again. He looks up at Mitch who is watching him with calm patience on his face.

“Four things you can touch,” Mitch urges. “You’re okay, I’m here with you. Just breathe baby. Four things you can touch.”

“C..couch cushion,” Auston starts with a gasp. “T-shirt, blank…blanket and …”

“Touch one more thing for me babe, you can do it.”

“Coffee table.”

“You’re doing so good, I’m so proud of you. Doing great. Now, three things you can hear. What can you hear right now?”

“Your voice” Auston’s breathing is starting to even out. He focuses on listening to the sounds around him and takes another deep breath. “The fridge is making ice in the dispenser and …” Auston pauses. “I can hear music playing outside.”

“Okay love, two things you can smell. What do you smell right now?” Mitch is watching Auston’s body relaxing into the couch slowly as he inhales deeply.

“I can smell the tomatoes that my mom was stewing this morning in the air and … the shampoo I used this morning. I bought your shampoo and brought it with me and I can smell you on the pillow my head is on.”

Auston opens his eyes to see Mitch’s smile take over the entire screen. They pause for a moment and Auston knows the final question Mitch is going to ask.

“I can taste the eggs I had earlier. And bacon.” Auston lets out a shaky exhale and feels the exhaustion that comes after an anxiety attack. When he opens his eyes and meets Mitch’s gaze, he sees relief in the other man’s eyes.

“Okay good, now hear me out babe. I’m not stepping away and I’m not ending anything,” Mitch pauses and makes sure that Auston is with him. When he sees the response he’s looking for, he continues. “The only way we are ending is if you want it over, okay? So do NOT ever think that I’d leave you or that I’m not wholly and unequivocally in love with you. That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is that I know you love me like I love you, but right now you need Freddie. And he needs you.”

“Mitchy,” Auston whines. He rubs his face with his free hand and takes a few calming breaths. He can feel his body tensing again and he struggles to focus on his breathing and Mitch’s voice. The love in his face that is grounding Auston more than anything ever has been able to.

“No listen to me. Do you love me?”

“Is that even a question? You know I do.” Auston watches Mitch smile and feels his stomach flutter with so much love for this man. He knows how well Mitch knows him and how hard he loves him and how he would move the earth to make Auston happy.

“Now close your eyes and think about Freddie.”

Auston glares at Mitch for a moment until he finally follows the order.

“Think about Freddie after a shutout win.”

Auston pictures it and an image of Freddie’s victorious grin appears in his mind. He can’t help but grin at the thought, how beautiful Freddie’s smile is and how his eyes dance with excitement.

“Think about Freddie when he’s indulging you on the ice and playing along with whatever tricks you’re trying to play.”

An image of Freddie’s exasperated but fond smiles shows in Auston’s mind and his smile softens and he feels it in his chest.

“Now remember back to Saturday night,” Mitch pauses and sees a hurt expression cross Auston’s face. He’s frowning and his forehead is wrinkled with concern. “Open your eyes Aus.”

Auston opens his eyes and hangs his head. He looks up, afraid to see anger in Mitch’s expression and is surprised to see understanding there. He has no idea how he managed to be this lucky in his life, the career of his dreams but also this amazing man to spend his life with.

“Have you spoken to anyone else?”

Auston shakes his head.

“Have you even considered calling anyone since you left for Scottsdale? I mean, besides me or Freddie?”

“Fuck,” Auston says exhausted. He looks at Mitch and they sit in silence for a few minutes. 

“Go to him,” Mitch says softly. “You know he’s gone home for the week. He’s in Cali. Just go…”

“What about you?” He feels those familiar butterflies in his stomach as Mitch grins at him. It was the smile that caught Auston’s eye the moment they met and he’d fallen in love with before they’d even been introduced.

“I’ll meet you both in St. Louis.” Mitch promises. 

“Mitchy,” Auston needs to make sure that Mitch is 100% okay with this. He can’t deny this is something he wants, but not if it is going to come between them. Auston’s been able to reign in his feelings for this long, he can keep that box sealed and in the back of his heart forever if he has to. “Are you sure, like …I need to know this is…”

“Auston, have I ever lied to you about anything before?” Mitch has an expression of absolute seriousness on his face, his eyes wide and voice gentle.

“No.”

“And I never will. I want you to go to Freddie. I want you to make sure he’s okay and that you’re okay. And I want you to do that how you both need it. A part of you is in love with him, and that is separate from the part of you that is in love with me.”

Auston shakes his head. He pauses for a moment to gather his words before he speaks. “I …I don’t know if that’s true,” he admits honestly. “I don’t think that they’re separate.” He sees the shock on Mitch’s face and the way his cheeks turn a slight shade of pink.

“I think that is something you need to speak about with Freddie,” Mitch says softly, his voice is barely audible and Auston watches the way his gaze flickers around for a moment before focusing on Auston’s.

“But…” Auston’s lips curl into a wry smile. He sits up and grabs his laptop from where it is sitting on the coffee table. Once it has woken from where it had been sleeping, Auston clicks a few tabs and logs onto Expedia to look at flights. “It’s not off the table?”

“Talk to Freddie. We’ll talk in St. Louis,” Mitch finally says. “Focus on you and Freddie…”

“There’s no me without you Marns,” Auston has booked his flight from Phoenix to LA and then reschedules his flight to St. Louis to leave out of LAX instead of Phoenix.

They talk as Auston heads upstairs to pack his bags. They’ll be heading right to Nashville after the All-Star Game and all of his equipment is already on its way, so he only needs to bring the things that he brought home from Toronto on Sunday night.

Auston asks no less than four more times if Mitch is okay and Mitch admits that if he wants to send a picture of the two of them together, he wouldn’t mind the visual that Freddie is okay and Auston has succeeded in getting through to him.

Telling his mother that he’s leaving a few days early is easier than Auston had anticipated. He knows she was excited that he’d chosen to go home during the bye week instead of going off to some island somewhere or staying in Toronto with Mitch, but the moment he tells her that Mitch has sent him to Los Angeles to find Freddie she throws her hands up in the air and says a prayer.

“Dear God, thank you,” she says with a grin. “You’ve been so miserable and I’m so glad that Mitch knows exactly what you need to cheer you up.” She pauses for a moment and her eyes widen. “Wait, is this … what kind of visit is this?”

Auston’s cheeks turn a dark pink and he avoids her gaze by bringing his suitcase to the front door. “Mitch sends his love,” he says quickly. “I should go if I want to catch my flight.”

“Papi?” Ema says in that tone that mothers have to make you spill your guts even when your body is telling you to abort the conversation entirely. “PAPI?”

“Mitch is sending me, okay? He literally told me to go to Freddie. So, I’m going. You wouldn’t want me to disappoint Mitch, would you?” It’s playing dirty, but Auston is not above using how much his mother loves Mitch to his advantage. She would do anything for Mitch Marner and has told both of them that numerous times, even going as far as texting Mitch daily like she does Auston to check in on him.

Auston breathes a sigh of relief when his mother relents.

“Fine, but you better check in with that boy when you get there. And don’t do anything that he wouldn’t approve of.”

Thankfully, what Ema Matthews doesn’t know, is that there isn’t a lot that Mitch wouldn’t approve of and Auston has been given free reign to do everything he would. Instead, Auston smiles and kisses his mother’s cheek playfully.

By the time Auston has gotten to the Phoenix Airport and checked his luggage in, he’s only got about 40 minutes before his flight is scheduled to take off. He’s scheduled to land at LAX at 7:30 and figures he’ll either take a cab when he gets there or rent a car. As he’s being called to board, Auston shoots off one last text to Mitch letting him know that he’s boarding the plane and will let him know when he arrives at Freddie’s.

The last thing Auston expects is to see Frederik Andersen waiting at the arrivals gate when Auston picks up his luggage. He’s so thrown off that the bag on his shoulder slips off and the wheelie luggage hits the back of his shoe, causing him to lurch forward on the carpet.

Auston watches Freddie cover his eyes with his hands and watches as his shoulders shake from laughter. By the time Auston has picked up his bag and is walking towards Freddie again, Freddie’s laughter has turned into giggles and his eyes are crinkled.

“That was embarrassing,” Freddie says as he grabs for Auston’s duffle bag from his shoulder.

Fuck off,” Auston grins, he’s embarrassed but so fucking happy that Freddie is there and smiling. And hey… Freddie… “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“What, am I supposed to make you find your own way to my place? What kind of host would I be?”

Auston makes a full stop. Freddie takes a few steps until he realizes that he’s alone before turning around and walking back to where Auston is standing there. They’re staring at one another, Auston’s hands trembling and Freddie’s face a mask that Auston can’t read. They stay like this until Freddie is the first to break. He looks down at his hands and lets his shoulders drop, he looks up and meets Auston’s gaze.

“Mitch called.”

Auston’s eyebrows raise, he fights off the blush that he knows is creeping down his neck to his throat and chest.

“Well he sent me some very strongly worded texts and then called. And when I didn’t answer, well let’s just say he’s very persistent. He told me you were coming and…”

Auston’s shoulders drop and he feels his stomach follow suit. Freddie is only there because Mitch forced him to be. He’s wondering if he can just fly out to St Louis tonight and stay there until they have the skills competition on Friday. “Oh.”

“Hey no. No, Aus.” Freddie tilts Auston’s chin so that he’s forced to look Freddie in the eyes. “He just told me to stop being a stupid fucking twat and to get over myself. That you were coming down to check on me because you’re worried and could I please get my head out of my ass and deal with shit.”

Auston has never seen Freddie look embarrassed, but in this moment, Freddie looks properly chastised. And by Mitch of all people, who is never anything but the pure embodiment of cheer and support.

“He …” Freddie’s cheeks darken and he bites his lip nervously for a moment before continuing. “He said that …you were coming … and that it’s okay if we…”

Auston nods but doesn’t speak.

“That it’s okay that I want …for me to …with you…” Freddie looks like he’s not entirely sure he believes it but wants nothing more for the words to be true. Auston can see hope in his icy blue depths and the slight tremble in his hand as he shifts the bag he’s holding over his shoulder more firmly.

“Uhh yeah. But like, only if you want because he thinks that you like …ummmm … maybe want to … with me … and like, I kind of want to … or more than kind of really … with you but … only if … and he’s okay with it because like, he loves me and wants me to be happy but …”

Auston is babbling and he jumps when Freddie’s hand rests on his forearm to calm him.

“I do,” Freddie licks his lips nervously as he takes a deep breath. When he’s ready his voice is stronger than it had been. “But is he …like is he actually okay with this? Because if he’s not and this is going to ruin what you both have, I can’t.”

This is not the place for them to have this conversation and Auston is aware of that. No one is paying them that much attention right now, but he knows that eventually someone will notice them and the last thing they want is this conversation being public. He nods in the direction of the car park and starts walking. “Let’s talk about it in the car,” he says. He offers a smile to Freddie and is pleased at the way Freddie relaxes a little bit.

The drive to Freddie’s house is surprisingly easy, conversation light despite the number of elephants in the car with them. Auston is simply taking a moment to enjoy being with Freddie, who, beyond all of his unexplored feelings, is one of his best friends. His eyes linger over Freddie’s profile, Auston taking in the slope of his nose, the way his jaw is covered with a few days’ worth of scruff and his forehead is relaxed and not furrowed. He truly is beautiful and Auston is relieved to see that he’s alive and well. Not that he didn’t think he was alive, but just seeing Freddie, being here with him in the car, close enough that he can smell the cologne he wears and feel the heat from where their arms are resting next to each other on the centre console has Auston’s anxiety lessening considerably.

“Why haven’t you responded to any of my messages?” Auston asks as they enter Freddie’s house. He kicks his shoes off onto the mat beside the door and follows Freddie further into the house. They pause for a moment outside of the guest room and Auston holds his breath until Freddie continues down the hall to where the master bedroom is.

That answers one question for Auston. He can’t hide the small grin that covers his lips as he follows into Freddie’s bedroom.

“I needed time,” Freddie answers shortly.

“I was worried,” Auston tries to keep the whine out of his voice.

Freddie shrugs his shoulders just a little. “I didn’t care.”

Auston can’t keep the expression of pain from his face. “Oh.”

“I’m sorry” Freddie’s apology is soft, there is almost a pleading tone to it. “I just… I’m sorry. I didn’t care that you were worried. I didn’t care about how you felt because I feel too much and it’s just …TOO MUCH sometimes. I needed time to process everything that Keefe was saying, how fucking horrible I’ve been playing and how nothing I am doing is helping. You guys are fucking up in front of me, I’m fucking up behind you and you go home with Mitch and work shit through while I go home alone and just stew over shit.”

Auston isn’t shocked by his words, just at the fire behind them. 

“And I’m not jealous of you or Mitch, because you both are so good for each other. But I kind of hate him a little because it’s him and not me.”

The silence is almost deafening.

Auston is trying to catch his breath at Freddie’s admission. It is more honest than he’d been expecting and Auston can’t tear his gaze away from the other man.

“Say something,” Freddie’s plea is barely above a whisper.

“He’s not going anywhere,” is what Auston says. “This isn’t me choosing you over him…”

“You don’t think I know that?” Freddie barks out a laugh. He drops Auston’s bag on his bed and leads Auston out of the bedroom to the kitchen. He pulls out a beer for each of them, Freddie takes a long swig before he speaks again. “You don’t think I know I’ve got you on loan? That you’re going to go back to him the second this week is over?” There is so much pain in Freddie’s voice that the air is thick with it.

Auston approaches Freddie with slow measured steps, so as not to spook him. Freddie’s eyes are wide, his jaw clenched tight and Auston pulls the bottle of beer out of his hand and places them both on the counter beside them. He presses Freddie against the counter and boxes him in with his arms. He doesn’t step in so close that they’re flush, chest to chest, but enough that he can feel Freddie’s heat.

“It doesn’t have to be like that,” Auston says softly. He takes a moment to make sure that Freddie is focused on him, that he is listening to Auston’s words. 

“It does,” Freddie whispers as Auston leans in slowly. Their lips are barely touching and Auston can feel Freddie’s breath on his mouth. Their noses brush against each other as Auston tilts his head just enough so that their mouths slot together. Auston’s tongue darts out to lick at Freddie’s lips before they step together and fall into a hungry kiss. Freddie’s hands move up to grasp Auston’s hips while Auston cups Freddie’s head in his hands to deepen the kiss even more.

It is fierce and hungry, Auston begins to grind against Freddie’s hard body as their mouths move together as though this were their hundredth kiss instead of their first. Freddie is licking desperately against Auston’s mouth, their tongues battling back and forth until he’s no longer able to stand and sags against the counter. Auston holds Freddie firmly and softens the kiss until they’re breathing into each other’s mouths, gasping from the electricity between them.

“No, Freddie. It doesn’t. I love you, and Mitch understands that. This was his idea, because he knows how much I care about you and how much I need you. How much I think you need me too.”

Freddie rests their foreheads together and Auston can feel him trembling in his arms. “What happens when he’s had enough of you being with me? What happens when he’s not okay with it anymore?”

“Then we sit down and talk about it,” Auston realizes how easy this is and what Mitch was trying to tell him on the phone. “This isn’t about him and me and fuck you, or even you and me and fuck him. This is about him and me and you and what that means for the three of us.”

“And if I just want you? What if I don’t want you with him? What then?”

Auston raises his eyebrows and bites his lip thoughtfully. “Is that what you want? Is that your stipulation? That I can have you but only if I’m not with Mitch too?”

Freddie pauses for a moment and Auston’s whole body feels like he’s been submerged in ice. He loves Freddie, thinks that he and Freddie could be great together, even better if it were him and Mitch and Freddie, but he’s not at that point of a relationship with Freddie. He technically could live without Mitch in his life, but he doesn’t want to and will do everything in his power to make that not happen.

“Because if that is the terms of this, I’m sorry but it’s a no. Then tonight I stay in your guest room …we forget this happened and tomorrow I fly back out and see you in St. Louis. Because I can’t do that Fred, I’m sorry.”

Auston is shocked to see the knowing smile slowly cover Freddie’s face. He leans in to press their mouths together in a saccharine sweet kiss that ends with Freddie tugging Auston’s lower lip between his teeth.

“I’d never ask you to do that Auston,” Freddie runs his fingers through Auston’s hair, he scratches his scalp gently and presses their foreheads together. “I understand the gift I’m being given here and I would be completely blind to not see how bright Mitch shines in your eyes.”

“You do too,” Auston makes his admission right into Freddie’s mouth, moving his lips as they kiss. With gentle hands, he pulls Freddie’s tee shirt up and breaks their kiss to pull it over Freddie’s head. His hands move everywhere on Freddie’s chest, stroking up and down his stomach to his chest and to his arms where he joins their hands. “That’s what I’m saying, it doesn’t have to be either or.”

“And what?” Freddie moans. Auston has moved his mouth down Freddie’s jaw and is sucking bruises onto his throat. “We share you?”

Auston shrugs. He lifts his arms as Freddie moves to rid him of his tee shirt and they begin their slow walk back down the hall to Freddie’s bedroom. Their mouths meet as they kiss, stumbling against the wall and as Freddie unbuckles Auston’s belt, Auston tugs at Freddie’s’ jogging pants.

“To start, maybe yeah!” Auston mumbles against where he’s pressing open mouthed kisses to Freddie’s strong shoulders. “Like, if you’re not comfortable with Mitch like this and he’s …” Auston pauses and looks up and down Freddie’s body with a filthy leer. Freddie has stepped out of his jogging pants and Auston noticed that he wasn’t wearing anything underneath. He’s standing in the middle of his bedroom completely naked and painfully hard, thick cock standing up against his flat, toned stomach. Freddie looks every inch the man of Auston’s fantasies and he feels his own cock throb in his pants. 

Auston steps out of his jeans and pulls down his briefs so that he’s now as naked as Freddie.

“Mitch loves. Hard. Even if he wasn’t sexually attracted to you, and god I don’t know how he wouldn’t be because fuck you’re so fucking gorgeous … it’s not going to be like you both can’t be with me together. If you need more time than him, we give it to you. If you never get that far, it’s okay. It doesn’t have to be a two for one deal,” Auston realizes just how true his words are as he says them. “But it can be, if that’s what you want. Because Mitch will do whatever he can to make me happy and it’s the same for me. If this were him and you, I’d feel the same way.”

“Aus,” Freddie is a mixture of overwhelmed and desperate. He pulls Auston close and leads him to the bed. “Please.”

Auston climbs onto the bed, resting on his knees as he pulls Freddie in to a deep kiss. As he feels Freddie melt into his chest, Auston slowly begins to lean back and pull them both into a laying position. He pulls away to breathe and position himself in the centre of the bed, Auston is on his back, legs bent at the knee and spread so that Freddie can climb in between his thighs. He crooks his fingers and beckons Freddie to crawl across and hover over him, their mouths meeting in a frantic kiss that turns slow and languid as Auston wraps his legs around Freddie’s thighs.

“Want you Freddie, want you inside me,” Auston moans into the kiss. There is so much for them to talk about, so much for them to clear between them and then again when they’re with Mitch in St. Louis, but for right now Auston doesn’t want to think about anything other than being in Freddie’s bed. With Freddie. In this way that he’s never allowed himself to fully realize, means everything to him. He cups Freddie’s cheek in his hand and just looks at him, taking in every single inch of his face. Auston kisses Freddie before he blurts out every word he’s not sure he has a right to use this early on.

Freddie meets Auston’s gaze and so much passes between them. He nods. “Okay.”

The first finger feels awkward and strange and exciting. He doesn’t want to compare Freddie to Mitch but he can’t help to not. He wants to catalogue every single difference between the two, wants to enjoy the way Freddie is confident and firm where Mitch was nervous and hesitant when they did this the first time. He wants to remember every single detail that he can relay to Mitch when they’re together and he’s offering the promised account of their first night together. Of every night together from here out. Auston arches into Freddie’s touch, he feels the way his fingers are scissoring inside of him as he kisses Auston until they’re both breathless and panting.

“Fuck, just get inside me,” Auston whines. He reaches down to grab onto his cock to stroke himself and nearly cries when Freddie slaps his hand away.

“Don’t want you to come before I get inside you,” Freddie growls against Auston’s throat. “Ready for my cock?”

“Oh god, please.”

Auston uses the time that Freddie takes to roll a condom on his erection and slick up his cock to take a few deep breaths. His eyelids flutter open and he sees Freddie hovering over him, watching his face affectionately. The head of Freddie’s cock is pressing at his entrance and Auston reaches up to press their mouths together in a needy kiss. “Do it, do it now, Freddie. Please.”

“Relax for me baby,” Freddie groans against Auston’s mouth. He grips his erection with one hand and holds onto Auston’s hip with the other, pressing firmly into Auston’s body. He can feel the heat of Auston’s ass pulling him in and gripping him with a delicious tightness that has Freddie focusing on pushing his orgasm back so that he can get fully into Auston’s body before he combusts.

“God, so tight and hot,” Freddie pants. He keeps pushing in, adjusting Auston’s thighs so that he’s got his legs high up Freddie’s waist and practically at his shoulders. It isn’t until their bodies are flush together, Auston’s balls pressed against Freddie’s stomach and his cock leaking constantly onto his own stomach that Freddie exhales the breath he’s been holding.

“I need…” Freddie starts to say.

“Fucking hell, MOVE,” Auston shouts at the same time.

Freddie rests one hand on Auston’s hip, gripping him tight as he begins to thrust sharply. His other hand is fisted in the sheets next to Auston’s shoulder and with each flex of his muscles, Auston lets out a low keening moan.

Each thrust has Freddie nearly pulling all the way out before slamming back in with a force that has the headboard of the bed slamming against the wall behind it. Freddie’s thighs are spread as wide as comfortable as he pushes into Auston’s body in a demanding pace, each slap of their bodies echoing in the room as the sound mixes with their grunts and moans. Auston is holding onto Freddie’s biceps until he’s forced to let go with his right hand to take a hold of his cock and begin stripping it in time with Freddie’s pace. 

Three things happen simultaneously, Freddie leans down to kiss Auston and bites his mouth sharply as Auston twists the head of his cock at the exact angle that has his orgasm washing over him and ribbons of come that shoot as far as Auston’s chest and Freddie’s jaw. At the feel of Auston’s come coating Freddie’s skin, he slams directly into Auston’s prostate that has triggered another orgasm and causes him to clench violently around Freddie’s cock which pulls his orgasm out of him at a breakneck speed

Freddie moans as he shudders violently against Auston’s throat and he continues to thrust as he comes deep into the condom inside of Auston’s body. They are sweaty and exhausted by the time Auston’s breathing returns to normal and Freddie is able to gently pull out of Auston’s body and roll to his side.

Auston’s first instinct is to curl on his side and mold himself into Freddie’s body. He whimpers loudly when Freddie pulls away and gets to his feet. “No...”

“Just a sec,” Freddie grunts as he stumbles across the room on unsteady legs. His now flaccid cock is hanging limply between his legs and he watches Auston’s eyes widen and his tongue dart out to lick his lips in response. “You’re insatiable,” Freddie chuckles as he returns from the bathroom without the condom but with a flannel. He’s gentle and tender as he cleans Auston’s thighs and ass, before he moves to his chest to rid him of the come he’d coated his chest with.

By the time Freddie has joined Auston in the bed and pulled the covers up, both men are practically asleep.

In the morning they don’t talk about it.

They don’t talk about it at all actually, opting to spend their days at the beach relaxing and their nights fucking until they collapse. 

They don’t talk about it over romantic dinners where they are surprised to learn more about each other than they previously had. Auston catalogues every single thing about Freddie he learns and observes, Mitch constantly in his mind as he thinks about how the other man would react to this side of Freddie and how much in love Mitch will fall with him.

Auston knows they should talk about it, that Mitch will have expected them to have worked through whatever is going on and what this means for them, but Auston isn’t ready to deal with anything other than eating, sleeping and having Freddie’s cock inside of his ass.

Not surprisingly, things are incredibly awkward when they get to St. Louis on Friday afternoon. Freddie and Auston land at the St. Louis airport and the bubble of their domestic bliss for the past few days has burst.

Mitch’s flight got in a little earlier and it was decided that Freddie and Auston would meet him at the hotel. Mitch has texted them their room number and although they have two rooms, it’s adjoining rooms so no one would even question why three of them would only need one room. 

He is laying on the sofa in the lounge of their room, watching ESPN when they enter the room, Auston leading Freddie in mid conversation. Freddie starts to laugh at something Auston says and Mitch is off the couch the second the door shuts and into Auston’s arms.

Their kiss is deep, intense and everything both would expect after being apart for almost a week. Mitch is gasping for breath when he finally breaks the kiss, he turns to Freddie and goes to move in for a hug, a hug they’ve had a million times, when Freddie steps back and dodges the action.

“I’m just going to put my stuff in my room,” is all he says as he walks out of the room. His face is a mask of stone, his voice sharp and angry. The mood in the room is heavy, almost oppressive and within seconds they are left alone in the centre of the room. The sound of the door closing is deafening in the otherwise quiet room as it makes them both jump at the loud knock. Seconds later, they can vaguely hear the beep of Freddie’s key card unlocking the door to his room next door.

“Well,” Mitch’s face is aflame with embarrassment, his eyes wide and nervous as he looks at Auston who looks a mixture of angry and ashamed. “That was …”

“Rude,” Auston says sharply. He looks at the door behind him and then at his boyfriend who has shrunk in on himself. Mitch is trying to be confident and brave, Auston can recognize that, but he can also see Mitch’s tells that he’s uncertain and worried. He hates how Mitch curls back up on the couch, pulling his legs close to his chest and hugging them tight to himself. He’s not even reached out to Auston for support or comfort, just withdrawing into himself. He hates seeing this man looking so shattered and anger is rolling over Auston in waves.

Auston, for the first time all week, wonders if he’s truly made a mistake in following Mitch’s suggestion. He’s unsure if he’s angrier at Mitch for suggesting it, at himself for going through with it or Freddie for ruining it.

“B..babe, it’s okay,” Mitch tries to ignore the awkwardness in the room. He hasn’t met Auston’s eye since Freddie stormed out. His eyes are focused on the muted television and his breathing is ragged, as though he is focusing on not letting the tears that are pooling in the corner of his eyes fall. Mitch nods his head in the direction of the door and speaks softly. “Aus, you should go make sure he’s okay. He needs you.”

For some reason, Mitch’s words anger Auston and it flares deep inside of his stomach. “WHAT?” He screams. “Why?”

“Because something is clearly wrong,” Mitch says softly as he tightens his arms around his legs and presses his face into his bicep. “He looked at me like he hated me, like he was disgusted by me.” Auston watches as Mitch takes a few calming breaths before he continues. “Was he like this before you got here?”

Auston shakes his head.

“Then it’s me.”

“TOO FUCKING BAD’ Auston yells because he can’t contain his rage. Yelling and focusing on his anger is keeping the panic at bay. The terror that he’s ruined everything and nothing will ever be the same again. He would rather focus on the anger than the desperation that he might lose his best friend and the love of his life. “He knew we were coming here. He knew you were here. And now you’re shoving me at him? What, you don’t want me here with you so you send me off to him?”

Mitch looks as though Auston has slapped him. A myriad of expressions crosses his face and Auston watches as he schools his face to an impassive expression and takes a few deep breaths. Auston can recognize that Mitch is using every piece of his strength to remain calm and rational. “Well what did he say when you spoke to him about this all? About what was going to happen once we all got back together?”

Auston’s anger gives way to embarrassment and shame. This time it’s him who avoids Mitch’s gaze and turns his back so that his boyfriend doesn’t recognize it on his face.

“You did talk about it right?” Mitch sighs and slams his hand on the couch. Now he’s yelling alongside Auston. “SO WHAT, YOU GUYS JUST SPENT THE WEEK FUCKING AND NOTHING ELSE? You couldn’t make time to actually talk? You didn’t think to figure shit out before you got here? DAMN IT, AUSTON!”

“NO, WE DIDN’T!” Auston shouts back. “I thought maybe it’s a conversation all three of us should fucking have. Not just him and me and you and me separately. But him and me and you together! I’m sorry I wanted us to all talk TO EACHOTHER and not ABOUT EACH OTHER!”

“Oh,” Mitch says softly with a fond smile on his face. He looks at the wall to the adjoining room and gets angry again as he remembers the expression of disgust and anger on Freddie’s face. At the sight of Mitch. It was clear how Freddie felt about him and now they’d potentially ruined their friendship with their best friend. “WELL HOW THE FUCK DID THAT WORK OUT FOR YOU AUSTON? HUH?” Mitch yells. “Because he can’t even fucking LOOK at me now let alone be in a god damned room with me.”

A banging on the door interrupts their shouting match. Auston stomps over to the door and rips it open to find a furious Frederik on the other side. They’re all standing at full height, chests puffed out and rage clearly displayed on their faces.

“I fucking knew you weren’t okay with this. YOU TOLD ME IT WAS FINE,” Freddie yells and points at Mitch. He turns to Auston and points to him next. “And YOU told me he was fine. But here you are, five minutes after we’ve returned and you’re already fighting. I didn’t want that; I don’t want that on me. THIS was not supposed to happen.”

“THEN DON’T BE AN ASSHOLE,” Auston screams as he pulls Freddie into the room. “You’re the reason we’re yelling. So, stop being an ass and we won’t have to fucking fight about it.”

“Well maybe if you guys had have fucking had a conversation about what we’re fucking doing,” Mitch snaps at Auston as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Like you couldn’t have fucking nutted up and talked about your feelings for once? Is it really that hard for you?”

“Babe, I literally just told you why we didn’t,” Auston says as though he’s speaking to a child. He approaches Mitch cautiously and pulls him into his arms. “I wanted it to be all three of us, not just two of us.

“I know, but …” Mitch whines as he pouts and waves his hands in the direction of Freddie. He leans into the kiss that Auston is pressing to his temple gently and relaxes into his embrace. “He can’t even be in the same room with me. Did you see the look on his face? He looked disgusted even just being in the same room with me.” Mitch’s anger has dissipated and he’s exhausted. He shuts his eyes tight to focus on something other than the way he wants to cry.

“Yeah, what the fuck,” Auston agrees turning to Freddie. “You said you were fine with this, are you not?”

Freddie looks as though he has no idea what is happening. One-minute Auston and Mitch are yelling at each other, the next Mitch is wrapped up in Auston’s embrace, pouting against his chest and Auston is staring at Freddie, looking confused. All of the anger that had been coursing through the room is suddenly gone and Freddie feels off centre. “What is happening?” He says slowly as he looks between the two of them.

Auston presses a kiss to Mitch’s forehead before he lets go of him so that he can go back to the sofa to sit down. 

“You tell me,” Auston answers as he pulls Freddie further into the room. He threads their fingers together hoping to calm Freddie down. “What’s on your mind?”

Freddie takes a few deep breaths as he tries to gather his thoughts. “I just, it hit me right now what we’ve been doing. And I know you’re okay with it, or you say you are…”

“I am,” Mitch says seriously, waiting for Freddie to continue.

“But then I think ‘why the fuck is he okay with this?’” Freddie rubs his face with his free hand. “And when is the shoe going to drop? What’s going to happen now that we’re all here and …” He realizes that he’s holding Auston’s hand in front of Mitch and tries to pull his arm back, unfortunately Auston has a firm hold on him and won’t let him go.

“Well we take it as it comes,” Mitch shrugs as though it’s simple. “Like, we will clearly need to talk because this isn’t going to work if we don’t. This whole fucking mess right here is proof of that.” Mitch shoots Auston a dirty look that is softened by the fond smile his lips curl into. “But beyond that we need to be brutally fucking honest with each other. Do you want to be with Auston?”

Freddie nods and offers an apologetic shrug. “Yes.” His stomach flutters as Auston squeezes his hand comfortingly.

“Okay good. Progress. And he wants to be with you. And I’m okay with you two being together. Is my being here going to be a problem?” Mitch asks because he needs to know where he stands with Freddie. He’s not afraid of the answer, he trusts Auston enough that their relationship is solid and not in any danger. 

“It can’t be, I mean, you were here first.”

A frown covers Mitch’s face and his forehead wrinkles. “That’s not an answer,” he says kindly but firmly. “You have a right to not want me here with Auston. Not everyone is okay with this type of relationship and not everyone wants it.”

Auston is relieved that he waited to have this talk with Freddie, Mitch steadies him in a way that no one else has been able to and as much as Mitch likes to goof around, he’s not afraid to be wholly and unapologetically honest in serious situations.

“You don’t have to have an answer now,” Mitch admits to Freddie. “But you should really think about this. Like, if my relationship with Auston is going to be a problem, we’re going to have a problem. I would never tell him who he couldn’t spend time with or be with, but I’m not going anywhere.”

Auston thinks that he has witnessed the exact moment that Freddie has seen, like, really seen, Mitch. There is a flare of something in his eyes and his pupils dilate as he takes in Mitch, who is sitting on the couch cross legged and back straight. He’s confident in a way that not a lot of people realize and he’s intense when there is something that means a lot to him.

And Auston means everything to him.

Auston’s face morphs into a smile as Freddie nods his head in understanding.

“I can’t say that I’m at the same place with you as I am with Auston. Or even with Auston at the same place you are,” Freddie says carefully. He looks back and forth from Mitch who is watching him intently and Auston who is watching both of them with awe. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be. Eventually.”

Auston is in love with the smile that takes over Mitch’s face. His eyes are twinkling and his grin is so wide that it is nearly blinding. It is nearly painful to tear his eyes off of Mitch’s face, but when he looks at Freddie, Auston can see a similar look of astonishment and affection on Freddie’s face that he has on his own.

“So, you’re saying you’d like to try. With both of us?”

Freddie nods. “Yes. I …” He looks at Auston and ducks his head. “But slowly? Like, I don’t want to rush into this with either of you and I’m just getting a handle on my feelings for Auston. I’ve never let myself get further than admiration from afar because …well I never thought I would have anything more than that.”

Not surprisingly, Mitch nods and knees over to where Freddie has sat down on the edge of the couch. He pulls Freddie in for a tight hug and Auston holds his breath until Freddie relaxes into the embrace and hugs Mitch back. They’re wrapped up in each other’s arms and Auston can’t make out what they’re whispering to one another. He can’t ignore how beautiful the two of them are together, here for him and their mutual love for him.

Freddie is the first to pull away. He rests his forehead against Mitch’s for just a moment before he pulls away and they both turn to face Auston.

“I have to go, pick up my mask and my pads. I’ll meet you both back here so we can get ready for the red carpet.” 

Auston falls into Freddie’s embrace as he approaches. He hugs him tight and is relieved when they pull away and Freddie’s eyes are clear, his lips curled into a genuine smile. “I’ll see you in a bit, okay?”

“Okay,” Auston nods with a blush. He leans in to press their mouths together in a quick kiss that has him whimpering into Freddie’s mouth. They pull way and Freddie heads towards the door.

When they’re alone, Auston takes Mitch’s hand and pulls him off of the couch to lead him into the bedroom. They climb up onto the bed and curl up together, chest to chest with their legs tangled and their arms wrapped around each other.

“I missed you babe,” Auston admits as he leans in to cover Mitch’s mouth with his own. They share a deep, sensual kiss that continues until Auston rolls them so that he his covering Mitch’s body, boxing him in underneath him. Their foreheads touch and Auston noses Mitch’s cheek affectionately. “So much.” He can’t deny the way Mitch’s big smile causes his stomach to flutter. There is surprise in Mitch’s gaze, but Auston is used to that, Mitch is always blown away when Auston tells him how much he loves him and how much Mitch means to him.

“Tell me,” Mitch whispers as he lovingly takes over Auston’s mouth in a hungry, desperate kiss. “Tell me how much you missed me. How much you love me,” Mitch rolls them so that they’re both on their sides in the centre of the bed, tangled together completely. He can’t deny that he needs the reassurance of Auston’s love for him, that he’s still the centre of Auston’s world even though there’s room for two now. “And tell me how it felt, with Freddie.” Their eyes meet and both men pause to just look their fill of each other.

Auston’s lips curl into a satisfied smirk. “Well it started when I got off the plane and Freddie met me at arrivals, I was so surprised I tripped over the carpet and my luggage.”

Mitch’s laughter echoes in the room around them and he settles deeper into Auston’s embrace.

They both know it will all work out. They love each other and Freddie too much to let anything come between them.

FINIS


End file.
